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January Pest of the Month

Brown Recluse Spiders

Color

Light to dark brown, with characteristic dark brown violin marking on back

Legs

8

Shape

Round

Size

¼ – ½ inch long

Antennae

No

Region

Found in the south central Midwest from Ohio to Nebraska and south through Texas to Georgia

Food Source

They eat other small bugs.

Web

Their webs are irregular. They use their web as a retreat, not for catching food.

Habitat

Typically, they live outdoors under rocks woodpiles. Indoors, they are found in areas where they can be undisturbed like inside boxes or rarely used closes/shoes. They can also be found under furniture and in window crevices. They love closets, attics, crawl spaces and basements.

Threats

Brown Recluse Spiders only bite when they are defending themselves. Both male and female spiders inject venom when they bite. The biggest problem to humans is their bite is usually not felt. A stinging sensation followed by intense pain as long as six to eight hours later is the tell-tale sign you’ve been bitten. At the bite location, a small blister usually appears and can turn into an open sore as the venom spreads. Nausea, severe itching, fever, and muscle pain may also be symptoms.